NO ONE “chooses” to “become” an addict and be at the mercy of “something” that controls their thoughts, minds, actions, and choices every day of their lives.
NO ONE wakes up one morning and thinks – I want to ruin my life, cause my family heartache and pain as it gets torn apart and interrupted by the stronghold of addiction and lose the ability to get or keep a job.
These statements are definitely true for all of the “serious” addictions that show the most effects to the outside world. However, there are all those “silent” ones that do just as much damage to our body and our ability to work, create, be free to love and experience life to the fullest. “Silent” / acceptable ones come in all forms, shapes and sizes. Eating can cause many limitations to what our body can do and how well it functions. So can smoking, pot, alcohol and any other “acceptable” substance. Then there is shopping, sex, status, approval, etc. that all feed into your self-worth and can become “addictions” in their own right along with the “unacceptable” such as pornography. Anything that causes us to “work” our time and energy around something we really want and / or “need” in our life, falls into that same category known as “addiction”.
No matter what name or form they present in, they control and create all the issues that we “beat ourselves up for and hate being “controlled” by. They all encounter the “lovely individuals” who pass judgement on addictions as a “choice” to just stop at any moment like we close our front door when we go in our home. Anyone caught in this vicious cycle wishes it was that simple! However, it’s anything but simple!
I don’t have a “degree” nor do I have experience with the support groups and the drug rehab programs. What I do have is an understanding through observing others and my own experience as I slowly was able to “break” the cycle of food being my “go-to” for comfort, which caused weight fluctuations and battles in my mind most of my life, as well as the need for approval from everyone in my life (almost at any cost sometimes). This is simply “my journey” and one I have to stay on – and often get back on – to live free of my addictions. My heart breaks for all those caught in some form of this struggle.
I found that the first step to “breaking” whatever stronghold we are “in a fight with” is to acknowledge we have a problem (and this can be just to ourselves and not to the “outside” world).
Next, we must Want to NOT be “controlled” any more. We need to know that people can and do overcome all kinds of addictions and that we can too. One important step that often gets left out is being kind and having compassion for ourself and embrace the belief in ourself that we can really do this!
Throughout this “journey” for anyone regarding any changes that will actually last is to approach one thing at a time! It is the only way to make lasting changes to be free from feeling like a puppet on a string!
What I do know is that no matter how long or how deep you are under the “control / influence” of a substance, habit or belief, one little step at a time, adds up to a “long way” down the path toward recovery!!! I have been blessed that my addictions were not “illegal” or debilitating. I know individuals who have beaten the “drug and alcohol” kind as well as the ones that seem “less” dangerous. However, all can still be very controlling in one’s life and emotionally debilitating! It’s great to be free and I still have to remind myself that I don’t have to “fight” myself and my problems in the same matter as before because I have tools to use that I know will work. I found ways to help me break the bad and create new attitudes and actions that last as long as I “do my work” to stay with them. And when I falter and get a little side-tracked – I have learned that instead of giving up and throwing in the towel or even beating myself up – I simple do what a little child does that is learning to walk. I just get back up again and again until I’m able to walk my path with ease – most days away – just stop beating yourself up and give some love and patience to that little child inside that we forget to be kind to!
Blessings to each one who joins us and I pray peace and healing for you or for your loved ones.
